Heavy rain, thunder and lightning could be on the way over the next week, forecasters have warned.

Clouds will begin building on Saturday, especially over the west and east, bringing a chance of rain. They will continue to gather on Sunday, moving over southern and eastern parts of the country, leading to further showers, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid is calling on UAE workers to provide an outpouring of support for an innovative initiative aimed at bringing precious water supplies to where they are needed most across the globe.

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai has launched the 'Well of Hope", a collective effort aimed at government and private sector employees to ensure needy sections of society have access to clean water.

Dry countries in the Middle East and Africa should look to new technology for a reliable water supply, a UAE minister said.

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said building desalination plants and a cloud-seeding strategy helped the UAE to address water challenges and called on other nations to plan ahead to avoid cities running dry.

Dubai: The UAE on Wednesday saw one of the highest rainfalls it has had in recent years, with a day’s rain in Al Shuwaib equivalent to more than 50 times the average rain the country gets every March over the past decade.

Hours of heavy thunderstorms and torrential rains on Monday, Tuesday, and especially Wednesday, that saw many parts of the country reeling in floodwaters.